Heretofore, mobile devices have been provided for use as decorative devices, such as a mobile device comprising a simulation of a bird in flight taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,388 issued to Oppenheimer on Jan. 10, 1984. This and similar disclosures offer mobiles with functions limited to ornamentation and decoration.
Heretofore, suspended envelope scales have been provided with a singular function such as determining the weight of an envelope as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,738 issued to Wickenberg on Aug. 17, 1971, or multiple functions, such as an envelope scale and rule combination, as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,461 issued to Roe on Aug. 4, 1981 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,365,011 issued to Heil on Jan. 23, 1968. These and similar disclosures offer suspended envelope scales with functions limited to the measurement of length and weight.
None of the devices noted above is intended to, or could function to provide both a creature that accurately simulates flight and the provision of an envelope scale.
Devices of the type disclosed by Oppenheimer in U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,388 have been comprised of a generally planar body portion to which wing portions have been hingedly connected as by strings looped through apertures in the body and wings. A hanger or spreader bar is provided having spaced suspension portions forming anchor points for thin flexible filaments extending between the suspension portions of the spreader bar and spaced points on the wings.
In order to provide an accurate replication of flights, it is necessary that the points of connection between the filament and the wings be carefully controlled such that in a still air environment, the creature is suspended with the wings in an upward inclination from true horizontal, essentially dihedral angle, whereby when the device is exposed to an air current, the body will oscillate upwardly and downwardly, such that the wings are sequentially inclined downwardly toward the body and upwardly toward the body, providing the desired illusion of flight.
While it is feasible to fabricate a mobile of the type described on a custom basis, wherein the maker by hand is enabled painstakingly to arrive at appropriate balance points, the mass production of a mobile of the type described poses problems. Another complication is encountered when it is desired to provide a variety of different flying creatures, the configuration or silhouettes of which are intended to accurately simulate the configurations of real birds or like creatures. Since the wing and body shapes of such creatures vary markedly one from another, it is evident that their balance points also will vary. Since even the slightest variations in weight and balance of the wing and body components will materially affect the suspended orientation of the mobile, prior devices have offered an attachment arrangement that provides a range of connection positions between filament and wings whereby an adjustment can be made to accommodate the wide variety of wing and body configurations and weights. Although this method of attachment can be produced on a production basis, an adjustable connection and the use of a flexible filament as a connecting means is incapable of sustaining conditions of heavy use and unpredictably high outdoor air currents without breakage or misalignment.
Devices of the type disclosed by Oppenheimer in U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,388 offer the replication of a winged creature in flight by a singular means, that is, the exposure of the device to an air current, thereby limiting the use of the device to locations such as an outdoor environment or in the vicinity of the moving air of a fan. Additionally, such devices require the purchaser to assemble the wings in hinged connection to the body portion and accurately connect the filament to the wings to balance the mobile device such that the wings, in static air conditions, assume the desired position. This may be cause for distress by the purchaser, especially someone who is neither mechanically inclined nor adept with hand work.